Girl Power
"Girl Power" is the 29th episode of Once Upon a Virus. Summary Rena, Joe and Liz are horrified by the Mantizoid creatures that have been unleashed, and the latter wants to work out a way to kill them so that they'll be able to defend themselves, while also dealing with the awkward kiss she and Joe shared. Meanwhile, Justine considers future wishes she could make, and Joanna has an extravagant new place of residence built. And in the Wikia world that was, ImmaGleek and her schoolteachers, Divina Peep and DavidTennantismyAngel, decide that they want to join the Wiki Witches of the West, a quest which leads Imma into her first romantic relationship with RenaBOT. Plot Joe, Rena and Liz continue to watch in horror as thousands of Mantizoids fill the skies; the terrible buzzing and clacking they emit makes the trio want to cover their ears, but this isn't worse than all the human screams they can hear as a tenth of the people of Earth are slaughtered. They see a man nearby get pinned to the ground by one of the creatures and its powerful extensions, ready to kill him in some god-awful manner and add to the red that's already running through the streets. Liz can't let this happen, grabbing Rena's gun as fast as she can and shooting at the creature. The bullets bounce right off of its exoskeleton, and the noise draws enough attention to the three heroes that the spell wears off on this particular bug monster. It leaves the man alone, allowing him to run away screaming like most of Earth at the minute, and it begins coming towards the trio, flying at them at an immense speed. Liz shoots at it twice more but the bullets are again deflected by its exoskeleton, and so she tosses the gun into the car and grabs her sword from it instead, attempting to behead the creature. It catches the blade in a pair of large claws and has it drop to the floor, proceeding to pin Liz down like it did to that man. "No!" Joe exclaims, trying to duck and get to the sword, but the creature uses two of its six legs to kick away him and Rena respectively. Liz is reaching out for her sword by herself, barely able to move her arm, but then the Mantizoid's ugly head turns upward, and Liz's eyes roll back as she attempts to see what it's become distracted by; it's a nearby apple tree in a park, with bright green leaves and bright red apples. Liz is confused, and then the Mantizoid stops pinning her down. "The mistress needs something," it utters, before flying away. Rena and Joe run towards Liz, who coughs as she's helped to her feet, and ask if she's alright. "Yeah…" she says, "I think… Joanna needed something…" The Mantizoid ends up outside the Whitehouse with about a hundred others, and Joanna is standing in front of them all, with David some point behind. "Congratulations," says Earth's new leader, "You have successfully removed one tenth of the Earth's population… now I need something more from you. The Mantizoids, as well as being great killers, are great builders, are they not?" She is met with nods and clicks and clacks as a response. "I tire of this… 'Whitehouse'… I wish for a new place of residence to be constructed. Mantizoids… you're going to build me a sky palace, so that I may travel this world and witness its demise from above." They cheer for her, and David appears excited. Peep stomps her bare foot and tells her army to get to work. "What even are those things?" Rena is wondering as he, Joe and Liz recuperate beside the car. "I'm guessing they're whatever came out of that… dimension… thingy, that Joanna was all into," Joe replies, "Her 'glory'." "Well they certainly appear to be under her control," Liz points out, "Whatever the hell they are." They all breathe heavily, commenting on what a close call they just had, and Liz eventually comes out with, "Only one thing to do now, I guess…" "What's that?" wonders Joe. "We need to figure out how to kill these things." "I wish we were learning how to kill stuff," a teenage ImmaGleek laments as she sits in an old-timey-looking classroom with her quite older friends, who work at the academy because they can't get jobs anywhere else, "I'm sick of being taught how to be a 'lady'. I don't care how to cook or clean or raise a damn baby; it's like they're trying to turn our brains to mush." "Ugh, I know, right?" says DavidTennantismyAngel, "I really hate stupid people." "Ironic," comments Divina Peep, smirking, but all David can reply with is, "Huh?" Divina rolls her eyes, and Imma continues to lament, leading the former to come out with, "Things would be different if we were part of a witch's coven, like the Wiki Witches of the West; if we had magic, we'd have power over everyone. And it'd be just girls, too." "That sounds cool…" says Imma, "But don't you have to, like, be a witch for that to work?" "Some witches are born without even knowing it," Divina explains, "I know I'm one, rightfully. It was written on the note attached to me when I was left on the orphanage doorstep. I've always sensed it though… that the parents raising me weren't my real parents." "I know where the Wiki Witches' church is," David chimes in, "I was raised in that coven, but… DeviousPeep said I annoyed her so she kicked me out… man, she's so independent. I've often dreamed about going back there, though. It'd be so cool if, just once, I could expand my magic and use it against my nine-year-old brother. I bet then he'd stop beating me…" "Right…" Divina utters. "I sure wish women were in charge," David adds. "Well, what if they were?" Imma asks. The other two stare at her, and she continues with, "I know it'd be unethical of you to take out a student, but… what if instead of just talking about this, we… actually do it?" They consider her suggestion. Rena and Joe consider Liz's suggestion in the present, wondering how she plans on trapping one of these hideous bug monsters long enough to learn a way to kill it. "When it was on top of me," she recalls, "It got distracted," she points, "By that apple tree… I think they're attracted to bright colors." "Just like any other bug," Joe sighs. "So… what are you thinking?" Rena asks. "You still have Silvia's spell book handy?" she wonders, "I spent a lot of time with those things when I was searching for a way to bring Joe and Josh home; I'm gonna need you to work some of your magic." Meanwhile, in Storywik, Justine is sitting in the back room of The Sword and Hammer, and Dlrgirl75 approaches. "There you are," she says. "Hey, Rachel," Justine greets, and the genie proceeds to sit next to her mistress. "I was wondering," Dlr mentions, "Why you didn't just, like, wish for the barrier to be up, or something…" "Well I didn't wanna waste it when they could've just done it themselves," Justine points out, "And they did. I wanna save my wishes for more urgent matters, like when the monsters are more imminently attacking." "Well the point of the barrier is to stop them from attacking," says Dlr. "Why are you arguing this matter?" wonders Justine. "I'm not arguing, I'm just curious. I've been your genie for a few days now; have you given any thought to your second wish?" "I… have…" Justine assures. "Right… what kind of thing were you thinking?" Dlr asks. "N-nothing…" Justine says, "I'm… going to go to the bathroom upstairs." Dlr looks confused as Justine heads up to the apartment, and, once she's in there, she's drawn towards a framed photograph of Rena and Joe, taken when they were roommates together. "Oh, guys…" she whispers, picking up the photograph and holding it to her heart, "If anything happens to you out there… I'm wishing you back. I know that sounds kinda selfish… but I guess I take after my father in that respect." Josh, meanwhile, stands outside beside Prima. Her powers are still bound, but by cuffs on either wrist, as opposed to rope that binds them together. Thus, her arms are now free, but she can't do magic. "Look at these things," Prima says, "They itch." "Can you blame them for not letting you wander around while empowered?" Josh wonders. "They let you…" Prima points out. "I've given them no need to doubt me," Josh assures. "Yet," Prima assures in turn, "Sooner or later these people are going to see you in the exact same way they see me… no matter what you do now, Reg… you'll never make up for the atrocities you committed in the past." Josh sighs, and ignores her, saying that they should be focused on the problems at hand. He then turns towards the invisible shield, and all the zombies that are pressing themselves up against it, wanting at all the meaty humans on the other side. Liz and Rena and Joe have driven to Boston's Fenway Park, which is now completely abandoned, and stand at its center. Liz is holding the spell book, with all the trio's weapons on the floor next to her, and finally finds a spell that could come in handy. She tells Rena to focus all his magic on the open space, while she reads the words needed to make something of it. She begins reading and Rena flares his hands towards the floor, focusing as hard as he can. Joe watches in awe as a circle begins to form on the ground; a large circle, which swirls around with many bright colors. "Cool rainbow disc," he says, approaching it. "No, don't!" Liz advises, and Joe gets a static shock just from being near it. "Imagine that times a thousand; that's what you'll get if you step in that," she explains. "That's how we're going to trap one of those… thingies?" Joe asks, to which Liz replies, "Uh-huh. Once it lands on this circle it'll be shocked into submission and unable to move. It's a general spell for trapping bugs but hopefully I've managed to amplify it sufficiently." "And now we wait," Rena adds. Liz nods. "Here we are," announces ImmaGleek as she, Divina Peep and DavidTennantismyAngel approach the church of the Wiki Witches of the West. "At last…" Divina smiles wickedly, and the three of them approach. However, while Imma and David can make it to the entrance steps easily, Divina is kept out by a spell of some kind (see "Happy Birthday, Ms. President"). "No… no!" she rages. "What's wrong, Divina?" Imma wonders. "This… they wanna keep me away… no!" She begins to cry, and Imma and David look at her awkwardly as she falls to her knees. Imma tries approaching her, putting her hand on her shoulder, but Divina bats her away angrily. "Get away from me!" she yells, "Both of you! I… I…" she gets to her feet and runs away, into the woods, and Imma appears disheartened; David just looks confused. "Do we still…?" David wonders, gesturing the church. "Yeah…" Imma says, trying to ignore her teacher's emotional breakdown, "Yeah, we do." She proceeds to ascend the entrance steps, and knock four times on the large wooden doors. She and David look intensely at each other as they wait for someone to answer it… and then DeviousPeep steps out. "What do you want?" she asks. "We were wondering if we could, maybe… join your coven?" Imma asks. Peep looks at her and says, "You're no witch." "Oh…" Imma utters, "I'm sorry then… Come on, David." "Wait," Peep says, and the two girls turn around. "You," she looks at David, "You're a witch… do I know you?" "Yes," David assures, "We knew each other as teenagers and you told me to leave because I talked too much…" "Oh, that's right, Daffith or something. Meh, you can come back, so long as you shut your pie-hole every once in a while." "Really?" David asks excitedly. Peep rolls her eyes, asking, "What did I just say?" "Sorry," David tells her, "And… sorry, Imma." "It's okay," Imma assures her, "Bye Miss Angel." David enters the church and Peep goes back inside, closing the door. Imma turns around, sighing, and begins to walk home disappointedly. As she gets further into the center of the Once Upon a Time Wiki, she accidentally trips, and a young man extends a hand, asking if she needs it. "Thank you," she tells him as she takes his hand and stands up, "I'm sorry. I'm ImmaGleek." "I'm RenaBOT," he reveals. There is an instant chemistry between them. Rena is waiting on one side of the large color circle while Joe and Liz stand together on the other; they are out of the former's earshot, waiting for a Mantizoid to land in their trap. "So…" Liz says, "That, um… that kiss." "Yes…" Joe replies awkwardly, "I guess we have to talk about that…" "Joe," she asks, "What… what am I to you?" "What do you mean?" "Well… how do you see me? We've slept together, we shared that kiss, right before you got lost to Wikia I told you I loved you, and… I still do… so… how do you feel about me?" she wants to know. "I… I don't know," he says in all honesty. "I only came on this mission to be with you," she reveals, "I had just got you back and I didn't wanna lose you again. If there's anything I've learned from watching your parents all those years, it's what love looks like. And what I feel… it must be it." "I," he begins, "Have a lot of complicated feelings for you. I've… never really had a proper girlfriend. I mean, there was this girl Emma when I was young, but… I felt totally betrayed by her in the end…" "I'd never betray you," Liz promises, and Joe nods, knowing this. "But…" he utters. "There's always a 'but'," she says, "I once dated someone too, but… he turned out to be a total jerk, and… he's dead now, and… the thought of anything like that happening to you..." "Look," Joe tries, "Why don't we figure out the parameters of our relationship after the world has finished ending?" "Okay," Liz agrees, "Sounds reasonable. Let's just hope it doesn't end too soon…" "Incoming!" Rena exclaims from the other side, and Joe and Liz look up to see a Mantizoid flying overhead, approaching their colored circle but not noticing the people stood around it thanks to Rena's earlier spell. Joanna is watching from the window as her sky palace is constructed outside, and DavidTennantismyAngel approaches her. "It's certainly shaping up beautifully," she says, "You will surely quash nations with it, your mercilessness." "Indeed," Peep agrees, "A true ruler is as moral as a hurricane. Empty, but for the force of their gale. But there are more reasons behind me wanting this new palace built." "Like what?" Selena is curious to find out. Peep turns to her, her black eyes and tears of blood making her scary to the easily-intimidated David "None of your business," she says, before turning her attention back to construction. A Mantizoid flies off. Similar to the one flying towards Liz, Joe and Rena right now. They look up apprehensively, and it isn't long before it lands on their large, multi-colored circle. And then electricity surges through it, and it screeches a terrible high-pitched shriek. The trio are forced to cover their ears, and the colors of the circle disappear, leaving a sticky mess behind that the Mantizoid can't break free of. Its six legs are glued to the ground, and it can't fly away, as much as it tries to. "Now, you little bitch…" Liz says through gritted death, "Let's find out what makes you die." In flashback, ImmaGleek and RenaBOT are getting to know each other, and enjoy a nice picnic together under the shade of an apple tree. "I really like you, Imma," RenaBOT says, and she expresses a likewise sentiment. He adds that he could really picture himself getting married to her, to which she asks, "Really?" "Really," he tells her, "Just imagine it: me out working and earning the goods while you stay at home, keeping the house clean…" "What now?" "…cooking the meals…" "You expect me to…?" "…raising the kids…" "Whoa!" Imma exclaims, "Now you're getting me pregnant? We're just kids…" "I was only thinking about the future," RenaBOT defends, "Don't you want all that?" "Like Tumblr I do! That sounds sysoply horrible…" "But… I thought you liked me…" he utters. "I do," she assures him, "But I don't wanna be some housewife…" In the present, Liz approaches the Mantizoid, and the other two tell her to be careful. She has her sword in tow, and it swipes its gross utensils at her, but she manages to dodge it. "What are you?" she wants to know. "I am a Mantizoid, one of a family of billions," it replies in a horrible voice. "Where… did you come from?" she further inquires. "From Earth," he replies, "Millennia ago, only we walked this planet… but then more species evolved, and we had to adapt… into the perfect killers… but then the warlocks came… and they sealed us away in that cursed dimension… and we vowed to serve our savior… long live DeviousPeep, for she is the new Queen of our hive." "You don't need to kill," Liz points out, "You don't need to obey her." "You're right," the Mantizoid says, "We don't need to kill…" "So why do you?" Liz wonders. "Because it's fun," it replies, and then it gives off a horrible shrill noise that Liz soon realizes must be a laugh, and she grabs her sword and begins hacking at its exoskeleton. It tries to get her with its pincers and claws and what have you, but she's a skilled fighter and she manages to dodge its every move. And then she finds a squshy, fleshy part in its underbelly, and, before it can react, and stabs her sword right up it. When she pulls it out, her blade is covered in green blood, and the Mantizoid is dead. "Huh," she comments, "I guess that's how you kill them." "Listen, RenaBOT…" Imma tries, "You're great, but… if that's really how you see the future… we're going to have to break up." "What? But why?" "Because," she reveals, "I want to be a Chat Mod one day… my brother teaches me how to fight, and I'm good… I'm really good… but I can't be out there, being a hero, and have that kind of life back home… I'm not sure I'd even be able to balance a romantic life, let alone what you described… and nor would I want that anyway. I want to earn my own keep. Pay my own dues. Live my own life… be my own person." "But… you're a woman," he points out, and she closes her eyes, shaking her head. "It's definitely over between us," Imma tells him, "I ran away from the academy recently to get away from that kind of life… not to step right back into it with you." "Well you'll never be a Mod!" RenaBOT yells, pushing her away from him and getting to his feet. "BOT, please…" she utters. "No!" he exclaims, "You're just a stupid girl, and I hate you, and I never wanna see you again!" Imma gets to her feet too, and she runs away crying. "Tears…" RenaBOT comments as she leaves, "Just like a woman…" In the present, DeviousPeep steps out of the Whitehouse, followed by DavidTennantismyAngel, to be met by the magnificence of what her Mantizoid army has constructed for her. A building with working engines, runways, spires… it's beautiful. A sky palace worthy of the name. Joanna's face smiles subtly as she approaches it, and she commends the insect-like creatures on their amazing craftsmanship. They appear proud of themselves, and Selena follows her through the entrance, and then through some hallways, eventually making it to what is clearly the main room, marked out primarily by the glorious throne at its center. Joanna walks towards it, and takes a seat. "Wow…" David utters, "You look… glorious. Where do I sit?" "Where else?" Joanna asks, extending a hand and making a tent appear with her magic. A bowl of food which reads Dog appears outside of it, and Peep tells her, "Hide away, pet." David nods and gets into the tent, while Joanna basks in her throne… and then the sky palace takes flight. The engines roar, mixed with a sufficient amount of magic, and when Earth's ruler looks out the window, the clouds are there to greet her. "Oh yes…" she utters, "A castle fit for the Queen of the hive." Category:Season 3 Category:Episodes Category:ImmaGleek-Centric